Senate Concurrent Resolution 570

(As Adopted by Senate and House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE MINISTRY AND CIVIC
DEDICATION OF DR. FRANK POLLARD, OUTSTANDING PASTOR OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, AND CONGRATULATING HIM ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT.

WHEREAS, on December 30, 2001, First Baptist
Church of Jackson, Mississippi, celebrated the outstanding ministry of Dr.
Franklin Dawes (Frank) Pollard, on the eve of his retirement as Pastor; and

WHEREAS, under the outstanding leadership
of Frank Pollard from 1974 to 1980 and from 1986 through 2001, First Baptist
Church has expanded its ministries and missions from Jackson's inner-city to
around the world; and

WHEREAS, the church has consistently been
one of the top three among 40,000 Southern Baptist Churches in giving through
the Cooperative Program to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Foreign
Missions and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for Home Missions - a total of
$23,811,927.00; the church has established Mission First, a nonprofit inner-city
ministry organization; built and staffed the West Park Ministry Center in inner-city
Jackson; involved more than 1,000 members in over 20 mission trips and projects
in Jackson and the United States and around the world in the year 2000;
developed a churchwide Mission Statement; established a Mission and Evangelism
Department; founded a Chinese congregation with over 70 active members;
established a weekly ministry to the international community of Jackson; and
started the Deerfield Baptist Church at Gluckstadt, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Sunday services are broadcast to
over 20 million homes as the TV Baptist Hour and on more than 300
stations as the Radio Baptist Hour. For five years, FBC services were the only evangelical TV
broadcast in Russia; and

WHEREAS, the Music Ministry involves more
than 1,100 singers in 16 choirs. The Carols
by Candlelight Christmas Concert and the Easter Musical were broadcast
nationally by ABC in 1995 and 1996; and

WHEREAS, the church has: baptized 2,367 since 1974; moved to multiple
Sunday Schools and Worship Services; started a ministry to singles and college
students that now involves 1,500; initiated a Counseling Ministry that
currently employs a dozen therapists seeing some 3,500 cases annually;
implemented a Church Activities Ministry that involves 60,000 annually; led
more than 900 to pray to receive Christ through various ministries in the year
2000; and sent more than 75 members to Southern Baptist Seminaries; and

WHEREAS, Frank Pollard was named one of
seven Outstanding Protestant Preachers in America by Time Magazine, was
honored with a Distinguished Service Award by the Alumni Association of Golden
Gate Seminary, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Southwestern
Seminary and Dr. Pollard was chosen by his fellow pastors to be President of the
Mississippi Baptist Convention; and

WHEREAS, when Jesus said in John 15:19
"you do not belong to the world. I
have chosen you out of the world," he already had his hand on Frank
Pollard. Not only did God choose Frank
Pollard, he also chose Jane Shepherd, a fellow student at Graham High School,
who was well into plans for a career in medicine. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Jane joined her life with
Frank's replacing medicine with ministry; and

WHEREAS, Frank and Jane Pollard and their
children, Suzanne and Brent, followed a ministerial trail that carried them
through Southwestern Seminary, through a series of small pastorates in rural
Texas, then to the rapidly-expanding Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church in
Dallas. His reputation as Pastor of Shiloh
Terrace Church led the Pulpit Committee from First Baptist Church to hear the
39-year-old preacher on Sunday, December 30, 1973, and was called
immediately. He served for six years
before going to First Baptist Church of San Antonio, Texas, then became
President of the Southern Baptist Convention's Golden Gate Seminary in Mill
Valley, California. Dr. Pollard was
called again to First Baptist Church in 1986 for his second service as pastor;
the growth of the church programs during Dr. Pollard's tenure is a matter of
record; and

WHEREAS, for many years Dr. Pollard was our
neighbor across the street from the New Capitol and gave the invocation for the
commencement of sessions of the Mississippi Senate on numerous occasions; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we
recognize the outstanding ministry of an individual who surely was God's chosen
instrument, and who brought honor to his congregation, his community and to the
State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE
SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING
THEREIN, That we do hereby commend the ministry and civic dedication of Dr.
Frank Pollard, outstanding Pastor of First Baptist Church in Jackson,
Mississippi, congratulate him on the occasion of his retirement, and wish him
and his family success in all their future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this
resolution be presented to Dr. Pollard and his family, be forwarded to the
Mississippi Baptist Convention and be made available to the Capitol Press
Corps.